Mattress-tufting machine



J. W. BOWERSOX.

MATTRESS TUFTING MACHINE.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 7. 1919.

'1 34%, 605 Patented June 22, 19209 JOSEPH W. BOWERSOX, F LOUISVILLE, KENTUCKY, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO ALBERT W. MOORE, 0F PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

MATTRESS-TUFTING- MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented J He 22 1920 Applicationfiled April 7, 1919. Serial No. 288,009.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOSEPH IVALLACE Bownnsox, a citizen of the United States, residing in the city of Louisville, county of Jefferson, and State of Kentucky, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Mattress-Tufting Machines, of which the following isa specification.

This invention rel'atesto mattress tufting machines.

Tn mattress making, after a tick is stuffed with suitable material it is tufted at in tervals to prevent the stufling ""om shifting. Tufting is accomplished by means of a long needle wherewith a cord, or twine, is drawn down through the mattress and then back up a spaced -distance from the first strand. The free end is then knotted about the main strand, a leather disk or a bunch of fibrous material such as 'cotton, is placed between the twine and the tick, top and bottom, to prevent the twine cutting through the tick, the twine drawn tight and secured to the loose end above the knot. The twine is then severed close to the knot.

A machine, for tufting mattresses has been devised, which is constructed along the lines of the well known sewing machine, having a table of suflicient extent to accommodate a mattress, an overhanging arm on the end of which is a head, a presser bar associated with the head on the lower end of which is a foot adapted to be brought down upon the mattress, a needle bar reciprocally mounted in a guide which is so associated with the head that it may be advanced and V retracted laterally a spaced distance therefrom, and a hollow needle detachably connected to the needle bar. The needle is long enough to reach through the thickest mattress which it is anticipated will be made, and come into operative association with knotting mechanism positioned below the table. When threaded, the twine passes down within the needle and out through an eye near the lower end thereof, normally projecting a short "distance therefrom. Vhen the needle is forced down through i the mattress, it carries the twinealong with it, the projecting end thereof being seized by a gripper, within the knotting mechanism, and held as the needle is withdrawn, the twine trailin behind it. When the needle reaches the highest point of its travel, the guide is advanced so that as the needle again d%cends, it pierces the mattress a spaced distance from the first point. As the needle descends, suit-able mechanism interposes a short piece of cotton wieking between the ticking and the descending bight oftwme. When the needle reaches the knot tylng device a loop is formed in the twine, the end thereof released, drawn through the loop and again seized, and a knot formed. The needle then rises exertingtens1on on the twine drawingthe knot tight, in the meantime a short piece of wieking having been inserted between the knot and the ticking, to prevent the twine from cutting through the ticking. As the point of the needle rises above the presser vfoot, mechanism associated therewith cuts the twine, after which the presser foot is raised, and the stufling expands taking up any slack in the twine. Immediately following the cutting'of the twine, the lower end thereof is released, the presser foot is then raised and the mattress may be shifted and the operation repeated; The apparatus as outlined above functions satisfactorily, but is wasteful of twine. It is to be observed that as the knot lies against the underside of the mattress, a loose end of the twine extends up through the mattress and that another tail end extends down to the gripper in the tying mechanism. These tails are, to say the least, unsightly,-consequently after the tufting is completed, the

mattress must be turned over and all of them cut off manually, entailing thereby considerable labor.

An object of this invention is to provide means whereby the position of the knot may be shifted from the exterior of the mattress, adjacent the outer surface of a tick, to a point interior thereof, adjacent the inner surface of the other tick, with the result thatthe twine will be severed close to the knot thereby effecting a saving of the length of twine that extends through the mattress at the same time drawing the tail end of the twine into the interior of the mattress whereby the need for cutting it off is eliminated.

More specific objects, features and advantageswill more clearly appear from the detailed description given below, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein-Figure 1, is' a side elevation of such portions of a mattress tufting machine as is necessary to a clear understandingof the application of an embodiment of my invention thereto: Fig. 2, a front elevation of the gripper device: Fig. 3, aside elevation of the gripper: Fig. 4, a top plan VIBW. of the gripper and its actuating cam, the 1mmediate associated parts of the machine being shown in section: Fig. 5, a perspect1ve view of the cam and its attaching plate: Fig. 6, a vertical section through a mattress in proximity to a tuft showing the location of the knot before being shifted into the mattress: Fig. 7, a view similar to' Fig. 6,

showing the location of a knot according to my invention.

Like parts in the several views are deslgnated by corresponding reference characters. Referring to the drawings the reference character -1- designates the table of a mattress tufting machine, whichis adapted to support a mattress 2- to be tufted, beneath which an inclosure, or box 3 is positioned which houses suitable mechanism for tying a knot, which is actuated by means of a shaft -4. As the knot tying mechanism forms no part of, and a knowledge of its operation is not essential to an understanding of the present invention, no description thereof is considered necessary. On the end of an overhanging arm 6- is a head 7 associated with which is a vertically movable presser bar 8- affixed to the'lower end of which is a foot 9- which isadapted to be brought down upon a mattress to compress it locally andto hold it against shifting during the operation. of tufting. This bar is raised and lowered by suitable means such as a lever -10 Associated with the head is a needle bar guide -11- in which a needle bar --12 is slidably mounted, being actuated by ,means of a lever 13- The guide is connected with the head by means of arms 14 which permit of its being advanced laterallyitherefrom by means, of a taperingterminates over the end of the stem. The

or wedge shaped bar -15-, positioned between it and the presser bar, which is raised and lowered by means. of a lever 16-. The guide is retracted-by suitable means such as a spring 18. A needle 17 afiixed to. the lower end of the needle bar,

is of sufficient length-to extend'through the v mattress and present the twine, which it carries, to the knot tying mechanism con tained in the box 3. Gripping mechanism, designated as an entirety by the numeral '2() is affixed to the needle bar and travels down and up therewith. It comprises a rectangular base -21- having a rib -22. on its side, adapted to be fitted in a slot 23 in the guide bar and passage of screws wherewith it may be secured to the needle bar. A wall 25-- erected at one side of and perpendicular to 'provided with perforations -24 for thethe base, carries on its outer edge, a bridge plate 26 which extends over the base. A stem 27 is slidably mounted in alined openings in the bridgeand. the base. A pair, of friction disks -30, 31 are loosely mounted upon the stem and a coiled spring 32 disposed about the stem, bears respectively against the outer disk and a collar 33 on the stem, the collar in turn bearing against the bridge. A lever 35 having a straight arm -36 and a curved arm -37 is vpivotally attached at 38 to the outerside of the wall 25. A lateral extension 39- from the curved arm 37 arrangement being such that actuation of the lever 35 in one direction will cause a depression of the stem thereby compressing the spring and increasing the pressure between the disks. A friction roller --40 is mounted .on the'end of' the arm 36, and a spring 41- serves to normally maintain the arm 39 in contactwith the end of the stem. A plate' -45 laterally adjust-- able relative thereto is attached to the head 7, and a cam bar 4 6- vertically adjustable relative thereto is positioned on the plate parallel with the face of the head and insuch positionthat it will lie in the path of the'roller 40,-when the needle bar guide and associated elements, isadvanced from the head. In threading the machine, the twine, or thread, -49-, is lead from a spool 5 0 through a guide -51- on the upper end. of the needle bar, about a pin 42--, between the disks 30, 31 about a" pin 4A down through the needle and out a sideopening near the lower end thereof. In operation, a mattress being positioned, on the table, the presser foot is brought down upon it and the'needle forced down therethrough, carrying the twine with it, the end of the twine/protruding from the needle is seized and held, by an element of the knotting mechanism. The needle is then withdrawn paying out the twine, a section '52 thereof remaining permanentl within the mattress. As the needle reac esthe upper limit of its movement, the lever 16,

depresses the bar 15, forcing the needle .bar guide outward (Fig. "1) a'spaced dis-v tance from 'the head, and the needle again descends. As the needle bar goes down the .roller 4O contacts with the curved upper; 9

suitable means have interposed short sections 56, 57- of cotton wickingbetween the twine and the ticking. The needle then rises leaving a third section 58 of twine within the mattress. (Fig. 6). Just after the needle starts upward, the roller con tacts with the curved lower end of the cam bar and the lever 35 is actuated to compress the spring 32 exerting such a pressure upon the disks 30,31, that the twine held therebetween is firmly gripped at the same time the k notting mechanism releases the end of the twine held therein, 'and the continued upward movement of the needle bar pulls the knot, and the tail end 59 through the lower tick and up through the mattress against the inner surface of the upper tick. At this moment the roller 40, reaches the upper end of the cam bar, and escapes therefrom releasing the pressure on the twine and the needle completes its upward movement. The twine is then severed, by suitable means, in proximity to the presser foot, the presser foot raised and the mattress may be shifted to make another tuft. It is to be understood that the mechanism is so constructed and timed that the movements described occur sequentially without further attention of the operator other than to operate a foot pedal to start the machine and to shift the mattress. It will be observed that by shifting the knot, to the interior of the mattress, drawing the section 58 thereout of a saving of twine is effected form thereof, I do not desire to be limited to such details, as many changes and modifications may well be made without depart ing from the spirit and scope of the invention especially in its broader aspects. Hence I I desire to cover all arrangements and modifications coming within the language of the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention .so that anyone skilled in the art pertaining thereto can make. and use the same,

I claim: 3

1. The method of tufting a mattress, consisting in passing the branches of a looped thread through a mattress in spaced parallel relationship, knotting the protruding ends thereof together and pulling said knot through the ticking into the interiorof the mattress. p

2. Ina mattress tufting machine, in combin ition with elements adapted to pass a thread through a mattress and tiea knot in same exterior of the mattress, means for shifting said knot to the interior of the mattress.

3. In a mattress tufting machine, in com bination with elements adapted to pass the parallel spaced branches of a looped thread through a mattress and knot the protruding ends thereof, means for drawing theknot within the mattress. 4

4. In a mattress tufting machine, provided with elements adapted to pass parallel spaced branches of a looped thread through a mattress and knot the protruding ends thereof together, means associated tress, gripping mechanism positioned on said element, a cam on a fixed portion of the machine adapted to actuate said mechanism to grip the thread whereby continued. movement of the element will pull the knot through the t ck into the interior of the mattress.

6. In a mattress tufting machine, a fixed member and a reciprocable element, a cam on said member, gripping mechanism on said element, said gripping mechanism comprising a base, a wall perpendicular to said base, a bridge extended from said wall, said bridge and the base having alined perforations, a stem slidably positioned in said perforations, pressure disks loosely posinormally bearing against the inner side of the bridge, a coil spring disposed about the stem and bearing respectively against said collar and the outer disk, anda lever, one end of which "bears upon theend of the stem and the other is adapted to be brought into the path of said cam by lateral -movement of the element.

7. A gripper comprising a base, a wall perpendicular to said base, a bridge extended from said wall, said bridge and the base having alined perforations, a stem slidably positioned in said perforations, pressure disks loosely positioned on said stem, a collar on the stem' normally bearing against the inner side of the bridge, a coil spring disposed about the stem and bearing respectively against said collar and the outer disk, and a lever, one end of which bears upon the end of the stem and a roller on the other adapted to contact with an actuating cam.

.JOSEPH W. BOWERSOX. 

